The Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System says it has saved over N361bn in spite of alleged opposition and sabotage.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Office of the Accountant-General.
Since its establishment in 2017, the IPPIS secretariat has taken the responsibility of overseeing the payment of salaries and wages directly to government employees’ bank accounts with appropriate deductions and remittances of third-party payments such as taxes and health insurance.
The department was, however, accused of causing a delay in paying the April 2020 salaries of the Nigerian Armed Forces personnel as a result of the “incapability and inexperience” of the operators of the IPPIS.
However, the OAGF refuted the reports in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday.
The statement, signed by Director, Information, Press and Public Relations, Mr. Henshaw Ogubike, said the delay was caused by the lockdown ordered by the Federal Government to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
The lockdown “led to late submission of variations by the agencies concerned and the need to accommodate their input in the April payroll accordingly”, the OAGF said.
The statement added, “Suffice it to state that the staff of the OAGF and the IPPIS are competent professionals who have demonstrated the will and capacity to get the job done in line with the presidential directives, despite distractions and opposition from some quarters whose objective is to sabotage the government policy that has saved the nation over N361bn.”
The OAGF disclosed that the government had completed the payment of the April 2020 salaries of the armed forces personnel in the country and that as of May 8, 2020, the personnel had been paid.
“According to the IPPIS office, the delay in the salary payment was due to the unexpected lockdown in the country. This explanation became necessary in view of a report which alleged that the April 2020 salaries of military and paramilitary personnel were delayed as a result of incapability and inexperience of the operators of the IPPIS.
“As mentioned in the report, officials of the IPPIS had given assurances that the salaries would be paid between 4 and 8 May. This was promptly carried out as noted earlier,” the statement explained further.
